As the cost of doing business is rising in college athletics, Ole Miss is working to adapt to the economic changes and ensure its winning ways continue.
Pending approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement, Ole Miss and other institutions are preparing to share approximately $20-22 million with student athletes beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Additionally, there will be a large number of new scholarships as part of an overall increased investment.
In order to address these added costs, Rebel Athletics has taken a number of forward-thinking steps, including strengthening its NIL leadership, imposing budget reductions across the department and assessing existing resources for student athletes.
However, revenue generation will be paramount as Ole Miss navigates this new era. The NCAA Financial Report for fiscal year 2023 shows that the Rebels rank 13th in the Southeastern Conference in total revenues and are $47.7 million below the league average. Based on the latest figures, Ole Miss is approximately $180 million behind the SEC leader in revenue.
“Ole Miss Athletics is in the midst of one of the most successful periods in our university’s history, and it is imperative that we make sound economic decisions in order to continue our momentum,” said Keith Carter, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics. “The financial commitment to student-athletes is growing dramatically, and we are thinking strategically within our budget to help address these new expenses.
“Ultimately, in order to maintain the level of talent that our teams have achieved, we must increase our department’s revenue. Our staff is working tirelessly to explore new and exciting opportunities, including concerts, premium seating and other exclusive experiences. On gamedays, our goal is to minimize the financial impact on the Ole Miss family as much as possible, but there will be new expenses that we want to make fans aware of entering the fall.”
Tailgating
In The Grove and Circle, tailgaters will enjoy the same organic experience that has made it a destination for sports fans all over the world. However, there are new measures being implemented to benefit from its value. While there are no changes to the process of securing a tailgate setup from your preferred tent vendor, those companies will now pay a fee per game per 10x10 tent to the athletics department for each of their setups. The vendor’s fee is $150 per 10x10 tent in single-game setups and $100 per tent in full season setups. The rates apply to both conference and non-conference games.
As always, fans can set up their own tent for free in The Grove, Circle and elsewhere on campus. In keeping with tradition, all tailgate setups will begin on Fridays. In addition, registered student organizations will continue to access The Grove in advance of the land grab free of charge.
“We understand how important it is to preserve the unique character and traditions of The Grove, and the end-user experience should not change for the fans with this new structure,” Carter said. “By continuing our relationships with local tent vendors, we hope to launch a profitable tailgating program as seamlessly as possible. Despite the additional charge, we are encouraging vendors to keep moderate prices for their customers while continuing to offer unique amenities.”
Tickets
For the 2025 football campaign, per-game ticket prices remain the same as last season. The Rebels are playing eight home games for the first time in school history, and as a result, season ticket prices are increasing by $25 to account for the extra contest.
Renewals are available now for the 2025 football season at olemisstix.com. To review your required seat donation or new pricing for parking, please visit givetoathletics.com/football.
Parking
An important change this year is donations for parking. Each permit will have a required annual donation based on parking lot location. Parking annual donations are mandatory for each permit, and must be renewed the following year in order to retain the same permit.
Parking location selected this season will be locked in for the next five years. Parking permits will be re-selected every five years, and fans will have the opportunity to relocate or upgrade their permit location each year. Parking donations are 90 percent tax deductible, and members receive one blue point per $100 given for parking.
“Ole Miss is blessed with the most passionate fans in the nation, and none of our success happens without their loyal support,” Carter said. “This is an unprecedented time in our industry, and every athletics department in the country is implementing changes such as these in order to stay competitive. We understand the challenges it creates for our fans, and they are not decisions that we enter into lightly.
“With these new revenue opportunities and our department’s cost-cutting measures, our staff is working hard to find the right balance of maintaining the same bucket-list experience while navigating this new world of college sports. Please be patient as we work through these processes, and as our plans continue to evolve, we will provide more information about gamedays in the months ahead.”
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Update today to the all-new version of the Ole Miss Sports app, presented by Renasant Bank. The new app will serve as a dynamic hub for Rebel gameday content, including ticketing, parking, schedules, shopping for official Ole Miss merchandise and much more. Click here for more info or to download. |
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